Anas Sarwar has said his “sole focus” is on becoming first minister after next week’s Holyrood election, and he has not given thought to his own future.
The Scottish Labour leader has consistently said his party will prove the polls wrong on May 7.
Surveys have shown the party appears stuck in a battle with Reform UK for second place, with both well behind the SNP.
Under current polling, any chance of Mr Sarwar being installed in Bute House would require a deal that would include Reform.
Speaking to the Press Association on Thursday in Edinburgh, he said suggestions last year that his party would lose the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election had been “silly”, and Labour had proved them wrong by securing the seat.
Asked if he would resign if his party loses next week’s election, he added: “Your job is to commentate, my job is to persuade, and I want to persuade people in this great country that this is not as good as it gets, that we can deliver change, that we can reject the poison and division of Reform, but also the division of the SNP.”
Pushed on whether he has contemplated his future if he does not become first minister, he added: “My contemplation is on how we win this election and change our great country, that’s my sole focus and that’s what I’m determined to do.”
Speaking to journalists later, Mr Sarwar said his party’s “promise rate” – the proportion of voters who have told canvassers they will back Labour – is higher than in last year’s by-election.
“If you look at the analysis we’ve done on those who started the campaign as undecideds, who are now moving to us in this election campaign, we’re now at a higher rate than we were in the week leading up to the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election,” he said.
“That gives us confidence in the areas where we need to win, those 38 constituencies that are on a knife-edge between ourselves and the SNP, that is ultimately going to decide this election.
“We think we’re in a pretty good place.
“Have we got more to do in the final week to persuade people and get even more people over the line? Of course we do.
“But that’s what election campaigns are for, and my job is to persuade and I’m going to focus on that persuasion over the course of the next week.”
Mr Sarwar went on to say he will serve a full term as an MSP, to “serve humbly” the people of the Glasgow Cathcart and Pollok seat he is running in, and would not take a peerage to sit in the House of Lords should he be asked.
